QUALIFYING REPORT: 2025 GTWC Endurance Cup at Monza
Mercedes-AMG Takes Pole
The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup qualifying session at Monza confirmed Mercedes-AMG’s dominance, with the German manufacturer locking out the front row and setting the tone for Sunday’s race. Meanwhile, Porsche, BMW and Audi delivered mixed performances, each wrestling with Monza’s unique demands.
Mercedes-AMG: Front-Row Lockout
Mercedes-AMG once again demonstrated its strength in GT3 racing. The #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed GT3 Evo, piloted by Luca Stolz, Jules Gounon, and Fabian Schiller, secured pole position with a combined time of 1:45.235. Gounon impressed most, setting the fastest lap in Q2 with a 1:45.000. Schiller sealed the pole with a 1:45.086 in the final qualifying segment.
Jules Gounon reflected on the performance: “Monza suits our car’s balance, and the team has done a fantastic job. Setting pole feels great, but the race will be a different test.” Schiller added, “We kept pushing right to the end. The pace is there; now it’s about staying clean and consistent.”
Hot on their heels was the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER GT3 Evo, driven by Lucas Auer, Matteo Cairoli, and Maro Engel, just 0.096 seconds adrift in second place. Auer said, “It’s tight at the top. We’ll need a solid start to challenge for the win.” Meanwhile, the #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo completed a strong qualifying effort in seventh.
Mercedes-AMG cars dominated Free Practice, filling the top five spots, underscoring their pace and preparation on the high-speed Monza circuit.
Porsche: Line-Up Changes and Mid-Pack Qualifying
Porsche fielded three notable entries with significant driver adjustments due to IMSA commitments. The #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche 911 GT3.R (992) crew included Ayhancan Güven, Morris Schuring, and Larry ten Voorde, who replaced Laurin Heinrich, racing at Detroit’s IMSA event. Despite prior success with a podium at Paul Ricard, the team struggled to break into the front ranks in qualifying.
Ten Voorde commented, “It’s never easy to jump in late, but we worked hard to find a good setup. Monza is unforgiving, but we believe in our pace for the race.” The #54 Dinamic GT Porsche, with Mikkel Pedersen stepping in for Mateo Llarena, also faced challenges establishing strong qualifying times. Pedersen noted, “Monza demands precision, and we will focus on race pace tomorrow.” In the Bronze Cup, the #97 Rutronik Racing Porsche featured Antares Au and Loek Hartog, continuing their Bronze Cup campaign after Schuring moved to the Pro class.
BMW: Championship Leaders Falter
The championship-leading #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo managed an 11th-place qualifying spot. The team acknowledged this was “not ideal” but remained confident given Monza’s history of unpredictability - last year’s winner started from 29th. A team spokesperson said, “Qualifying was tricky with traffic and slipstreams. The car feels strong for the race, so we’ll look to make up positions.” The #98 Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo, driven by Augusto Farfus and Jesse Krohn, qualified 14th.
In the Gold Cup, the #777 AlManar Racing by WRT BMW entry included Jens Klingmann, a key figure in last year’s Monza-winning WRT team, alongside Al Faisal Al Zubair and Ben Tuck. Klingmann remarked, “It’s a competitive field, and every lap counts here. We’ll focus on a smart race strategy.” Meanwhile, the Silver Cup saw the #42 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo competing strongly. Notably, the #991 Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 (Bronze Cup) welcomed Ash Sutton, BTCC champion, replacing Dan Harper, who was also at Detroit for IMSA duty. Sutton said, “Jumping in is always a challenge, but the team is well-prepared. I’m excited to see what we can do.” The #992 Paradine BMW (Silver Cup) did not set a time in Q2 but returned for Q3.
Audi: Mixed Fortunes in Silver and Bronze Cups
Audi’s campaign centred on the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II platform. The #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi was the best non-Mercedes runner in Free Practice and qualified sixth overall in the Silver Cup. Driver feedback was positive, with the team confident about race pace.
The #66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi (Bronze Cup) failed to progress to Q3. The #26 Saintéloc Racing Audi (Silver Cup) endured a setback with an off-track incident during Free Practice, causing a red flag. The team also made a last-minute driver change, replacing Lucas Legeret with Reece Gold for qualifying. Gold commented, “It was tough to prepare on short notice, but we pushed hard to get the best lap possible.”
Series Crossover Impact
Several drivers were absent at Monza due to concurrent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship commitments at Detroit. This notably affected Porsche’s Laurin Heinrich and BMW’s Dan Harper, highlighting the demanding global schedules of factory and professional GT drivers.
Technical Overview
- Mercedes-AMG’s GT3 Evo showed a commanding pace advantage, particularly on Monza’s high-speed layout.
- Porsche’s 911 GT3.R (992) remains competitive but lacks the edge required to challenge the top Mercedes entries.
- BMW’s M4 GT3 Evo continued to showcase versatility across classes but failed to match the leaders in qualifying.
- Audi’s R8 LMS GT3 Evo II delivered strong Silver Cup pace but had inconsistent results overall.
Outlook
As the race approaches, Mercedes-AMG’s front-row lockout marks them as favourites, but Monza’s history warns of surprises. With tight competition from Porsche, BMW and Audi, the endurance challenge promises to test all teams’ speed, strategy and reliability.
